How to color match a repair

Most boat owners who have ever tried to repair fiberglass on their boat will know that color-matching is a major challenge.

When performing touch-ups on fiberglass boats, many people believe that they need to have the perfect color tone.

Well, good news for DIY repairers – this isn’t the case. The repair doesn’t need to be matched perfectly if you carry out the repair in a certain way.

Achieving a technically precise color match is almost impossible unless you have many years of color matching experience. Even if you are using factory-matched gelcoat.

So in order to achieve a great looking touch up to your fiberglass boat, you don’t need a technically precise color match and here’s why …

How level the surface is, has a direct impact on the color’s appearance – not the color itself. You can achieve a color match that is two or three shades in color variance and it won’t be noticeable on a large surface of a boat.

Then there’s another consideration …

You could go out and buy the precise factory matched shade of gelcoat. There’s a very good chance though, that it still won’t be a perfect color match.
So what do you do?

4 factors that affect color matching

The precise color of the boat depends on a number of factors including:

What time of day it was applied

The temperature it was applied at

The batch of gelcoat used to apply it as each batch differs slightly

The age of your boat. As boats age, the gelcoat fades so even when they purchase pots of color-matched gelcoat the color-match isn’t perfect.

The Solution?

The MagicEzy surface repair system has been designed to help you achieve a great looking repair without the need to precisely match the color.

Estimate the closest shade of your boat color from our color chart. If a more precise match is required, you can mix two colors together to form a new color. Mix on a clear plastic wrap on top of the surface and match to the color of your boat.

MagicEzy 9 Second Chip Fix is the same color wet or dry, which makes it easier to visually match colors.

Another great thing about MagicEzy 9 Second Chip Fix is that it won’t dry immediately so you have time to work with it to get the best possible result.

20 Comments

Rocky Stone
on October 30, 2016 at 7:50 am

I cant believe you don’t have an Aqua/Turquoise color match. It’s one of the most popular (at least here in Florida)!

MagicEzy Customer Service
on November 1, 2016 at 4:09 pm

Hi Rocky,
Thanks for your suggestion, I assume you mean the very pastel Aqua / Torquoise colors which are popular in Florida? They do come in a variety of shades of light blue and light green depending which color the Boat Builders choose. Therefore each shade is very low volume. A close match can be created by mixing Snow White and Forest Green or Royal Blue.
We hope this helps,
All the best

Ben Menten
on March 23, 2017 at 1:03 am

Dear Sir,

Could you translate the available color descriptions in somewhat more
technical in preference in the RAL system but any other can help me also.
e.g. snow white = RAL 901

MagicEzy Customer Service
on March 23, 2017 at 11:34 am

Hi Ben,
Yes I believe our snow white color would be closest to RAL9010.
Which other colors were you wanting to know about? If you would like to email us direct please do to info@magicezy.com
Thanks and all the best

David
on July 8, 2017 at 2:34 am

I was wondering if you guys have iceblue

Gerry
on July 11, 2017 at 10:04 pm

Hi bought the royal blue for a bayliner and is way too light can send pictures. regards Gerry.

MagicEzy Customer Service
on July 13, 2017 at 11:44 am

Hi David,
We have Royal Blue and Navy Blue, however the colours can be blended together to get a colour closer to your requirements. I would try Royal blue as it is the lighter shade and perhaps mix with a shade of white? Please see the colour chart on http://magicezy.com/9secondchipfix/ for the full range of colours. Feel free to email us at info@magicezy.com for further information.
Wishing you all the best

MagicEzy Customer Service
on July 13, 2017 at 11:49 am

Hi Gerry,
If the colour is too light you can blend it with some black to get a darker colour. The colours are fully compatible with eachother and can be simply blended in a zip lock bag for easy colour matching.
Alternately email us on info@magicezy.com if you would like to take advantage of our money back guarantee.
Thanks and all the best

I was wondering if this would work on fiberglass pool step and slide repairs?

MagicEzy Customer Service
on July 31, 2017 at 12:06 pm

MagicEzy 9 Second Chip Fix and Hairline Fix are both ideal for use on fiberglass however due to some environmental laws in certain parts of the world, our products are not recommended for areas permanently below the water line. I hope this helps, if you have any further questions please email on info@magicezy.com

Mike Lawrence
on August 13, 2017 at 6:59 am

Tollycraft have a distinctive off white color on most of their boats. It appears Oyster white is the best match. Is that your recommendation?

MagicEzy Customer Service
on August 14, 2017 at 11:58 am

Hi Mike,
Thank you for your enquiry.

Snow White is a pure, clean white.
Oyster White is a creamy/beige off-white.
Matterhorn White is an off-white with a slight grey tone.

Our MagicEzy 9 Second Chip Fix is also suitable for vertical surfaces. You just need to apply the product according to directions; after the second leveling, use a hairdryer to blow hot air on the repair for two minutes to form a skin that won’t slump.

I sincerely apologize as I don’t think I can recommend a color that is close to gold. Our color selections are based on popular demands, but may be available in the future.

Feel free to respond to this email if you have additional questions or concerns.

Tommy
on September 8, 2018 at 11:01 pm

I have a 2003 Regal LSR 260. The color is Dark Blue along sides, but an “off-white” upper and swim platform. My repair needs to be done to the swim platform. Do you provide a color match based on boat manufacturer and model year?

Hello Tommy! Please note that all our colours are a copy of the International Paint Colour – the world’s largest marine paint company. It’s virtually impossible to give an accurate recommendation based on the model of your boat but from what you’ve shared, Navy could be the closest match. My suggestion is for you to get your free colour chart and brochure from the website. If required, you can mix two or more colours together (e.g. adding Snow White to give a lighter shade) or to form a new colour. Mix them on a clear plastic wrap on top of the surface and match to the colour of your boat.

I hope this helps. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Wishing you all the best!

Hi Scott! Due to the fact that gelcoat can discolor quickly over time, it’s virtually impossible to give an accurate color recommendation that is based on the model of your boat. The best thing for you to do is refer to our Color Chart and estimate the closest match. To give you an idea, our Snow White is pure and brightest white, Oyster White is creamy off white and Matterhorn White is an off-white with a slight grey tone. If required, you can mix two or more colors together to form a new color. Mix on a clear plastic wrap on top of the surface and match to the color of your boat.